Solar eclipse 2009

This item appears on page 92 of the January 2008 issue.

Several companies are quickly selling trips for the July 22, 2009, total solar eclipse, which will be visible for nearly five minutes on a path through China and the Pacific Islands.

TravelQuest International (Prescott, AZ; 800/830-1998, www.travelquestinternational.com) offers two China itineraries, with the eclipse to be viewed from a beach near Shanghai: a 9-day trip at $2,840 (plus $800 single supplement) and a 6-day, $2,230 (plus $600).

Eclipse Tours/Future Travel, Inc. (Houston, TX; 800/929-9004 or 281/480-1988, www.eclipsetours.com), has an 11-day China tour with eclipse viewing south of Shanghai — $6,995 (plus $715 single).

Wilderness Travel (Berkeley, CA; 800/368-2794, www.wildernesstravel.com) offers a 14-night Polynesian Islands cruise aboard Paul Gauguin — $6,995-$26,995 per person.